Diary of a writing, reading, animal loving, travelling Penguin and his mate who love collecting Penguin books, taking photographs and talking to people about Tasmania, Australia

Saturday, 27 December 2014

What a Wonderful Secret Santa Who Visited Me

The Broke and the Bookish blog was kind enough to host a Secret Santa. I didn't know if anyone in Australia would be participating as most of these things seem to be in the U.K. but I thought I would sign up and see what happened.

I have to say I was a bit sceptical but then I have watched book bloggers around the world for the past 3 years and I must say they are the most generous bunch.

Don't you just love this cover?

I sent off my name and filled out the little questionnaire and sure enough I was assigned someone in Australia to send something to. I thought this was a lot of fun. I also had someone assigned to me and I thought, "Woo hoo- bookish presents." My friends and family don't always realise how much I love books and all things related to books but it is beginning to sink in. This year I was lucky enough to score several gifts in the bookish line and what a wonderful Christmas that made.

Sure enough about 10 days before Christmas a package arrived in the mail from a blogger named Bec. She was in New South Wales and I didn't know who she was. I didn't know the blogger I was assigned to either. But lo and behold we all got a Secret Santa surprise gift. I think the whole idea is wonderful. Here are perfectly good strangers going out, thinking about a gift, shopping, wrapping it up and sending it to someone completely unknown to them.

How cute.

With all of the horrific news in the media this is just what I needed. (BY the way in 2015 I am not going to follow so much news. It gets me nowhere, there is nothing I can do about it and it only makes me feel really, really bad.) I have decided I might take myself into the Penguin room and read between 6:00 and 7:00. An hour a day of reading would get me through a fair few books. But I digress.
I opened the package and inside was a chocolate Penguin, he's too cute to eat but one night I will probably feel really choc-niverous and swallow him whole, I got a little cute Penguin bookmark and a wonderful copy of Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights. It is a beautiful Harper Collins edition.

He survives

It was quite serendipitous as I had been in the local indie only that day looking at a copy of it thinking "I really need to read this book." Weird, isn't it. So I can't thank Bec of New South Wales enough and if anyone knows what blog she is linked to I wish they would let me know because she didn't tell me, being the modest person she must be. I did have her mailing address though.

If someone asks me next year to become involved in a Secret Santa will I join up? You bet your sweet patootie I will. Thank you Bec and thank you Broke and Bookish for organising it all.